


Tear Stained

by yankeetooter



Category: Chernobyl (TV 2019)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-16
Updated: 2019-10-16
Packaged: 2020-12-16 13:23:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21036926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yankeetooter/pseuds/yankeetooter
Summary: Valery regrets his harsh words.  (Sequel to Adrenaline)





	Tear Stained

The divers had returned. The work continued and new problems arose, but Valery felt calmer now. Being around Boris helped. The man had a soothing effect on him; it simply could not be denied.

But one day they were outside the trailer and everything went south. Valery honestly didn't know how it happened. Reports had come in showing radioactive elements far outside the exclusion zone. His blood was boiling at the slow procedures of the Soviet government. Why did everything have to take so long?! Adrenaline pumping, he had snapped at Boris, even knowing the exclusion zone was a sore point with him.

Things quickly ramped up to the point where he inadvertently insulted Boris. Boris got real quiet, told him to watch his tone. Valery couldn't meet his eyes after that, but it was if that invisible connection between them had snapped. After Pikalov reported in, Valery had retreated to the trailer as fast as possible.

He leaned on the wall inside, trying to catch his breath. He felt dizzy, like he might faint, and telling himself to calm down didn't help. He stumbled to his desk, sitting down before he collapsed. Any moment he expected Boris to come barging in. He couldn't face him.

Now the tears came. Valery tried to curb them, but hitching sobs overwhelmed him. He buried his face in a spare military fatigue, but tears still dripped onto his papers. 

He sat like that for some time, expecting Boris any moment. Ah well, better to get the confrontation over with, right? But Boris didn't come. Lunchtime came and went, dinnertime approached, and still no Boris.

Finally, Valery got up and went to eat, leaving his tear stained papers behind.

________________

Boris was mad. Really mad. Oh, not at Valery, although his comments had hurt. Besides, he knew the man too well now he and knew he often said things in the heat of the moment that he didn't mean.

No, it was the issue of the exclusion zone. He would have moved it further out if it was his decision, but it wasn't. And so he could only try to convince others to make those decisions, all the while feeling like he was letting Valery down.

Pre -Chernobyl Boris would have scoffed at the thought. But there was something about the scientist he couldn't put his finger on. Boris loved doing things for Valery. The look the man gave him when Boris produced whatever he asked for was worth whatever effort Boris had put forth. But the issue of the exclusion zone stung. Boris could try to influence, try to convince, but he couldn't do what Valery seemed to expect - actually make the decision. And Boris didn't like disappointing Valery.

So it was that he walked through the camp, inspecting the various cleanup jobs going on instead of returning to the work trailer. He didn't get back until nearly 7 p.m., but was still surprised when he didn't see Valery there. Valery usually worked until at least 8:00 or 9:09 p.m., at which point Boris still had to pry him away from his desk to go eat. But, no Valery. 

Boris examined Valery's desk, in case he had left him a note. There was no note, but what he did see made him head hurriedly to the door. The papers on top had been wet sporadically, as if rain had dripped on them...or tears. There'd been no rain for several days.

__________________

Valery sat miserably in the dark. Boris hadn't even cared enough to come looking for him. He must be furious! Valery wished he could take back his words about aparachtchiks. He hadn't meant to include Boris in his generalization. He didn't even think of Boris in that way. The man acted like no other career party man Valery had ever known, except maybe for his always meticulous appearance. He joked with the workers and soldiers, sat and had his meals with them, and made sure they were well taken care of.

Maybe that's where he was now, fraternizing with the men or having a drink with Tarakanov. Anywhere but with Valery. He took one last drag on his cigarette, the glow of the butt the only light anywhere nearby. He heard a voice, "Boris!" It was Tarakanov.

The next minute, Boris came striding through the rubble, calling his thanks to the general. Valery didn't have time to say so much as hello before being engulfed in Boris' strong arms. 

"I've been looking for you everywhere!", Boris gently chided. "I was worried when I couldn't find you!"

Valery tried to answer but the tears came once again, overwhelming him. Boris had been looking for him? Even after he'd been such an ass? He'd figured Boris wouldn't want to talk to him for at least a few days.

"Boris, I'm so sorry!", he managed through his sobs.

"Hush now, Valera. No more talk. It's forgotten."

Valery stood in Boris'embrace, feeling safe from anything the world could throw at them. Suddenly he gasped. "Boris, your shirt!". Tear stains were evident on the front of Boris' normally immaculate shirt.

Boris pulled Valery back into his embrace. "What does that matter, Valera, as long as you are okay!"


End file.
